SC halts demolition of dargahs in Rajasthan
Supreme Court grants two-week interim pause on demolition drive in Rajasthan border districts and directs petitioners to approach the Rajasthan High Court
- The Supreme Court granted interim protection and asked petitioners to approach the Rajasthan High Court for disputed questions of fact.
- Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind filed the petition on behalf of affected residents.
- Mahmood Asad Madani said the organisation would immediately approach the Division Bench and pursue legal remedies.
The Supreme Court granted interim relief to residents affected by a demolition drive in Rajasthan’s border districts. The drive reportedly targeted mosques, madrasas, dargahs, homes, and other structures. The order matters because demolition disputes often raise questions of due process, jurisdiction, and immediate protection from irreversible harm.
The Court ordered a temporary two-week stop to demolitions while considering a petition filed on behalf of 40 affected people by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. The petitioners were also told that disputes involving contested questions of fact are more appropriately handled by the relevant jurisdictional High Court.
The Court allowed the petitioners to seek relief before the Rajasthan High Court’s Division Bench at Jodhpur. The lead organisation’s president, Mahmood Asad Madani, said the group would immediately approach the Division Bench and pursue all available legal remedies.
The Supreme Court’s interim relief in a demolition dispute tests judicial review, the jurisdictional role of High Courts under Article 226 of the Constitution, and the balance between administrative action and due process in demolition cases. The issue also fits the recurring mains theme of rule of law, protection of property and religious places, and remedial access for affected residents.
